NEW PRODUCT » Walk-Around Snowsuit/Sleeping Bag + The History of the Freedom Shelter

The History of the Freedom Shelter

To the best of my knowledge, a fellow named Ron Asher—who never served in the military—created the FREEDOM SHELTER, which you can see on the web site. The year was 1984 and he patented it. It is a multi-purpose bivi bag that would configure to a rain poncho. He offered it to the military and it was basically rejected. In the early 1990’s a Colonel retired from the Marine Corps bought the company and got the attention of the Marine Corps. He also was, as it turned out, a designer and designed a sleeping bag to properly fit inside the FREEDOM SHELTER when it was being used as a bivi bag. Dick Haislip, the owner, now needed a factory to produce the bag. He had a factory making the shelter but they were either not interested in making the bag or couldn’t, which led him to Wiggy’s.

Dick called one day and said he was doing research into insulations and determined that the Lamilite was the insulation and would I make the bags for him? "Of course," I said, and before long he had an order from the Marines for about 3000 systems for Force Recon. Unfortunately, that was the only large order ever received from the Marines for the system.

Eventually, the factory making the shelter was sold and the new owners ended their relationship with him so I started making both products.

Over the years, Dick was able to secure a place with the U.S. Army where all Army aircraft have to have the shelter on board—one for each person; otherwise the aircraft cannot leave the ground. But it did not include the sleeping bag. We have made many of the shelters for the Army.

In recent times I have received orders for sleeping bags for more than expected from, of all customers, the Coast Guard. Since these bags are insulated with Lamilite and exposure to water is meaningless, maybe that is why they want them.

While the shelter can be reconfigured to a rain poncho, the sleeping bag can be reconfigured to an insulated poncho. This is an attractive feature when you want to wear less bulky outerwear since you can put the sleeping bag on and you will be warm.

Now for my opinion about this product with respect to the military; IT SHOULD BE THE ONLY SLEEPING BAG AND BIVI SHELTER ISSUED TO ALL SOLDIERS. As I see it this system really make the soldier solidly independent which is necessary since a soldier may ultimately find he is alone.

New Walk-Around Convertible Snowsuit/Sleeping Bag

A new item that is now available on the website to the general public is the WALK-AROUND SNOW SUIT THAT CONVERTS TO A SLEEPING BAG.

As the literature states, I designed it for the Air Force a number of years ago and it was vacuum packed with a pair of Mukluks and Renegade mittens. It was part of a survival kit given to all passengers boarding C-130’s.

Just so you know, these products—just like all of the other Wiggy's insulated products—are insulated with Lamilite/Climashield.

View the Walk-Around Snowsuit »